Container for viscous substances



Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October2, 1934, Serial No. 746,605 In Great Britain October 2, 1933 6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for pastes, viscous liquids and thelike.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved container forpastes and the like having means constantly tending to cause theextrusion of the pastes and means to control the extrusion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a container havingmeans constantly tending to cause the extrusion of pastes or the likefrom a removable refill container situated within the container properand means to control the extrusion. It is also an object to provideremovable refill containers for use in such containers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a container forpastes and the like having means tending constantly to extrude thepastes through an exit orifice'and a valve controlling the extrusion atthe orifice and provided with means adapted to regulate the amount ofpaste delivered upon each actuation of the valve.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescriptions of embodiments of the invention, and the novel featureswill be particularly pointed out in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: I

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a complete container,

Figure 2 is an underneath view thereof,

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the liner or innercontainer shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of part of a liner showing amodification, and

Figure 5 is a. sectional elevation of a modified form of head and valve.

As shown, the container comprises a hollow cylindrical body I having ametal base member 2 secured to it at one end. A threaded metal ring 3 issecured to the cylinder at the other end and is adapted to receive ahead 4, which screws down on to the container. The head 4 is shaped toform a tube 32 concentric with the head: this tube is provided with acap i0, the tube and cap being so shaped that the exit from thecontainer by way of them is initially wide and gradually narrows towardan orifice I l in the cap, as shown in Figure 1.

A valve is provided to cooperate by its head portion l4 with a seatingI5 at the outlet H. The Valve has a cylindrical barrel portion 13 whichis joined to the head portion by opposed frustoconical portions 40 and4| and is guided in a tube or sleeve 33 carried concentrically to thetube 32 by a portion 34 integral therewith. As shown, the tube 33 is ofupwardly tapering form as to its outer surface. A plug 16 is screwedinto the lower end of the tube 33, and between it and the barrel l3 ofthe valve is mounted a spring [1 which constantly tends to keep thevalve closed on its seating. A trigger l8 inserted into a hole in thebarrel of the valve and secured by a screw I8 projects through a slot ISin the portion 34, whereby the valve may be opened against the action ofthe spring by depression of the trigger.

The base member 2 has a central hole 20, and a short tube 2!, the boreof which forms a continuation of the hole, projects upwardly from thebase member. As shown in Figure 1, the edge of the hole and theextremity of the bore of the tube 2| are flared. The base member furthercarries a pin 22 upon which a clip 23 is pivotally mounted.

In order to fill the container, the head 4 is removed and an innercontainer or liner 40 open at both ends, shown separately in Figure 3,is inserted within the body I until its lower end contacts with a ring41 secured within the body near the lower end thereof.

As shown, upwardly projecting portions 44 are formed on the ring 41 (twoare shown in Figures 1 and 2) and corresponding slots or depressions 43are formed in the lower edge of the wall of the liner 46. This ensuresthat only liners having the correct. arrangement of slots 43 can be usedin the container.

A sleeve piston 24 of diameter equal to the internal diameter of theliner is arranged for upward and downward movement within the container,and is tapped centrally for the reception of the threaded portion 25 ofa rod 26. The piston is forced upwardly by means of a volute spring 21,anchored at one end to the outside of the tube 2|, and is provided witha washer 28 of rubber, leather, or other suitable material. The washeris of greater diameter than the piston and is confined against the uppersurface of the latter by means of a plate 29 having a flat bottomsurface and a concave upper surface as shown in Figure 1; the plate 29is tapped at the centre and screwed down on to the threaded portion ofthe rod 26. During the insertion of the liner 45, the piston ismaintained, against the action of the spring 2! at the lower end of itsstroke by means of the clip 23, a notch 3| in which engages an annulargroove 30 formed in the lower end of the rod 26 which projects throughthe hole 20. The lower end of the liner is flared outwardly as shown sothat upon the liner being pushed down until it contacts with the ring41, the piston and washer are guided into the interior of the liner.

In Figure 3 the liner is shown separately, and from this figure it willbe seen that top and bottom caps 48 and 49 respectively are providedwhich must be removed before the liner is inserted within the body I ofthe container. The bottom cap 49 is provided with a central portion 50extending upwardly into the liner a distance equal to that which thepiston and washer extend into the liner when the latter is fullyinserted Heh within the container and the piston is held down by theclip 23.

When the liner is in position, the cap 4 is screwed down, and a shoulder5! on it contacts with the top of the liner holding the latter firmlyand forming a tight seal. The piston is then released by swinging of theclip 23, whereupon the substance within the container is subjected,through the piston, to the force of the spring 27 and flows to fill thehead 4, whence it is extruded by way of the orifice ii whenever thetrigger it is depressed, so long as the piston has not reached the endof its travel.

As shown the head commences: to reduce its internal diameter, at theshoulders 5|, by means of convex surfaces 45, whilst later the capportion l0 gradually narrows toward the exit orifice H by means ofconcave surfaces.

The shapes of the interior of the head t and of the valve and associatedparts are such that the substance to be extruded is so guided as toensure its flow with very little obstruction, so that even highlyviscous substances can be extruded with the help of a relatively weakspring.

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of liner wherein the removablebottom cap d9 in the form previously described is replaced by a closuremember 52 in the form of a plunger to which a rubber washer 53 issecured by a stud 54. When such a liner is used, the piston in thecontainer proper is dispensed with, the plunger 52 being operated uponby the spring 2'! to cause the extrusion of the substance. Such anarrangement avoids any contact of fingers or air with the bottom of thesubstance within the liner, and should be especially suitable for usewith medical substances.

If desired, the use of liners or inner containers may be dispensed with,the substance being stored directly withinthe container body I. In sucha case the ring 4'! is not present and the piston 26 fits with as littleclearance as possible within the body. To fill the container the top isremoved and the substance is introduced from the top, the piston beingheld down by the clip. 1

In Figure 5 there is shown a modified construction of head and valve,which is particularly suitable for use in the dispensation of condimentsand which may be substituted in any of the containers previouslydescribed. In this form the valve has a cylindrical stem 60 providedwith a collar or flange 6!, which is adapted, after a small interval,upon depression of the trigger controlling the valve to contact aninternal annular flange 62 carried by the head; this has the effect ofblocking all egress from the container. When the trigger is released,the flange on the valve stem leaves the internal flange and apredetermined quantity of condiment is delivered during the return ofthe valve to closed position. v

The diameter of the flange is such that when the valve is in the closedposition there is sufiicient space round the flange for condiment toflow past it under the action of the plunger spring ready for the nextdelivery and to allow for surging of the condiment when the trigger isdepressed.

The inner and outer containers may of course be made of any suitablematerial, metal and glass being two which might be employed.

I claim:

1. A container for viscous substances such as pastes, comprising ahollow body, an outlet passage from said hollow body having an exitorifice,

said outlet passage being initially wide and narrowing gradually to saidexit orifice, a piston mounted within said hollow body, a spring actingupon said piston to cause it to move to extrude the viscous substancethrough said exit orifice, means to control the extrusion, and means tohold said piston against the action of said spring.

2. A container for viscous substances such as pastes, comprising ahollow body, an outlet passage from said hollow body having an exitorifice, said outlet passage being initially wide and narrowinggradually and uniformly to the outlet orifice without substantialobstruction, means constantly tending to extrude the substance throughthe outlet orifice, valve means mounted in said outlet passage tocontrol the, extrusion, and means mounted upon the valve for limitingthe amount extruded upon each actuation thereof.

3. A container for viscous substances such as pastes, comprising ahollow body, a detachable head piece forming an outlet passage for saidhollow body, an inner open-ended container with in said hollow bodyoutwardly flared at one end, said outwardly flared end havingdepressions therein, an abutment on the inner surface of said hollowbody adjacent the end thereof opposite to that at which the head pieceis attached, upstanding portions on said abutment corresponding to thedepressions in the end of said inner container, spring-pressed meansconstantly tending to extrude the contents of said inner container byway of said outlet passage, and means to control the extrusion.

4. A container for viscous substances, comprising a hollow body formedat one end with a valve controlled outlet, the opposite end of the body.

having a closure formed with a central opening, a spring-pressed plungermovable in the body and having a central pin designed to be projectedthrough the opening in the end closure of the body when the spring issubstantially fully compressed, means on the end closure for cooperatingwith the pin to hold the spring in its substantially compressed positionand the plunger fully retracted, a refill container to be seated in thebody and corresponding in internal diameter to the diameter of theplunger, and means on the body for holding said refill container fixedagainst relative movement with respect to the body.

5. A container for viscous substances, including a hollow body, adetachable head piece formed with an outlet for the container, an endclosure for the hollow body, a refill container to be inserted in thebody, means interior of the body to support the lower end of the refillcontainer, the head piece being formed at the end to be connected to thebody to overlie the upper edge of the refill container and fix the samein position within the body and below the head piece, a plungeroperative within the refill container when in position in the body, aspring for moving the plunger toward the outlet opening, and means onthe hollow body to hold the plunger in retracted position duringapplication of a refill container.

6. A construction as defined in claim 5, in-

cluding a valve for controlling the outlet and means extending laterallythrough the head piece above the connection of the head piece and hollowbody for operating the valve.

GUY EDMUND ARMSTRONG.

